From left, the Vikings’ Kaylee Kennedy (4) dribbles while being guarded by the Broncos’ Maddie Filipiak (3) as Broncos head coach Shawn Gilbert looks on from behind in Tuesday night’s game in the Littlefork-Big Falls gym.
From left, the Broncos’ Ben Humbert (44) looks to work the ball inside while being guarded by Mountain Iron-Buhl’s Brody Tetrault (33) in Tuesday night’s game in the Falls High School gym.
The 17-year-old International Falls High School senior is a forward on the Bronco girls basketball team.
The Broncos’ Alex Belanger, shown swimming the butterfly in the Feb. 12 home dual meet against Virginia, has advanced to the Section 6A championship finals at Grand Rapids in the 100-yard butterfly after placing eighth in Thursday’s preliminaries in 1 minute, 3.55 seconds.
The Broncos’ John Cowman swims to a second-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1 minute, 18.88 seconds, during Thursday’s home dual meet against Virginia.
The International Falls boys swimming and diving team has two weeks to prepare for the section competition after closing out its dual meet schedule this week.
Four days after competing at Mesabi East in a five-team invitational, the Falls returned there Tuesday for a dual meet, which the Broncos lost to the Giants, 102-74.
“Tuesday there was really bad weather (traveling to Mesabi East),” said Broncos head coach Hailey Silvers. “It's not that (the Broncos) didn't swim well, but it was a really long day.”
Falls freshman Alex Belanger recorded a pair of first-place finishes in the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 30 seconds) and 100 butterfly (1:08.54).
The Broncos picked up another first-place individual finish from senior Cole Tatsak in the 1-meter diving competition (176.65 points). Tatsak also placed second in the 100 freestyle (1:04.62).
The Falls recorded another second-place individual finish from freshman John Cowman in the 100 breaststroke (1:18.98).
In the relay events, Tatsak, Cowman, Joey Griffith and Gary Harala placed first in the 200 freestyle relay (1:51.84).
The Broncos' 200 medley relay team comprised of Jared Hunter, Cowman, Belanger and Tatsak finished runner-up in 2:05.48.
VIRGINIA 105, FALLS 66
The Falls hosted its final dual meet of the season Thursday for Parents' Night when Virginia bested the Broncos, 105-66.
Of the varsity 12 events, the Falls placed first in two of them and also recorded six runner-up finishes.
“The boys swam phenomenally. This is one of our better meets of the year,” Silvers said. “They had a lot of (personal records). It definitely brings their spirits up right before heading into the section meet."
The Bronco divers went 1-2 with Tatsak and Robert Sweney scoring 186.04 and 99 points, respectively.
Belanger won the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 29 seconds) and placed second in the 100 butterfly (1:05.55).
The Falls' other individual runner-up finish came from Cowman in the 100 breaststroke (1:18.88).
The Broncos recorded runner-up finishes in the three relay events. They included: Hunter, Cowman, Belanger and Tatsak in the 200 medley relay (2:00.49); Hunter, Tatsak, Belanger and Harala in the 200 freestyle relay (1:48.03); and Hunter, Harala, Cowman and Tatsak in the 400 freestyle relay (4:26.42).
Though the Falls won't have another varsity meet before the Section 6A preliminaries Feb. 26 in Grand Rapids, the Broncos are scheduled to host a junior varsity invitational Feb. 21 when swimmers in grades 7-9 will be able to compete.
Lexi
Erickson
The International Falls girls hockey team scored a pair of third-period goals Tuesday night, but it wasn't enough as the No. 3-seeded Broncos' season came to an end with a 3-2 loss to Hibbing/Chisholm in the Section 7A semifinals at Virginia.
Despite outshooting the Bluejackets in the first two periods, 28-14, the Falls couldn't put the puck in the net until the final 17 minutes, which Hibbing/Chisholm began with a 2-0 lead after Allyson Brandt scored the Bluejackets' first goal in the first period and Raini Heyblom added a second-period shorthanded goal on a breakaway play.
“We just couldn't get any puck luck until the third period,” said Broncos head coach Gerald Bolstad.
The Falls – which ended up outshooting Hibbing/Chisholm, 42-23 – pulled within a goal 3:39 into the third period when Lexi Edwards scored on the power play assisted by Amber Tilander.
After Brandt scored again for the Bluejackets to extend their lead back to two goals, the Broncos pulled their goalie late in the game to put an extra attacker on the ice when Tilander scored with an assist from Lexi Erickson with 1:49 left to play to make it a 3-2 game.
However, the Falls couldn't get the equalizer before time expired as Hibbing/Chisholm, which defeated the Broncos for the third time this season, advanced to Friday night's Section 7A championship game in Virginia against top-seeded Proctor/Hermantown, which won its semifinal game over No. 4-seeded Moose Lake Area, 4-0.
Megan Frider recorded the win in goal for Hibbing/Chisholm. Kayla McConnell picked up the loss in net for the Falls.
The Broncos, who ended the year at 13-13, are losing four seniors to graduation – forwards Tessa Walls, Jenna Anderson and Kylie Skallman and defensive player Ashley Jonson.
H/C 3, IF 2
IF 0 0 2 – 2
H/C 1 1 1 – 3
Today’s games
Women’s/men’s basketball
Mesabi Range at RRCC, 1/3 p.m.
Boys basketball
I. Falls vs. Hinckley-Finlayson at North/South Challenge in Virginia, 1 p.m.
Women’s hockey
RRCC at UW-La Crosse, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday’s games
Women’s hockey
RRCC at UW-La Crosse, 9 a.m.
Tuesday’s games
Girls basketball
I. Falls at North Woods, 7:15 p.m.
L-BF at Lake of the Woods, 7:30 p.m.
Boys basketball
North Woods at I. Falls, 7:15 p.m.
Cherry at L-BF, 7:15 p.m.
Boys hockey
I. Falls at Virginia in Section 7A Tournament, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s games
Women’s/men’s basketball
Hibbing at RRCC, 6/8 p.m.
